Broncos win Commissioner's Cup

By Brian Witter

The award for top finisher in West Coast Conference athletics has not yet been given out, though Santa Clara has already been determined as the outright winner, a first in the school's history.

The WCC Commissioner's Cup is given to the school that posts the best results in all NCAA sanctioned sports for both men and women. Even though baseball season has not ended, Santa Clara's lead is too great, preventing any chance of other schools within the league to catch up.

In years past, Pepperdine has vaulted ahead of Santa Clara due to strong finishes in spring sports. However, this year Bronco athletes finished higher in programs like golf and tennis where both the men and women's teams posted in the top half of the conference at the end of the season.

Supplemented by top performances in soccer, volleyball and women's basketball, Santa Clara currently sits ahead of Gonzaga by 9.5 points while Pepperdine sits in last place. The Broncos finished in the top half of ten of the thirteen Division I NCAA sports that the school competes in, including a tie for first in women's soccer and six third-place finishes. There will be no last-minute advance by the Waves this year.

The recipient of the Commissioner's Cup is based on a point system reflecting the place finish of each team in conference play. In addition, there are men's and women's All-Sports Awards that are given to the schools that accumulate the most points within each particular gender. The institution with the highest total after combining the men's and women's point totals is honored with the Cup.

Santa Clara has finished in second place the last three years in a row, but as programs are enhanced by increasing student attendance and participation, this year broke the custom. In a letter to all student-athletes, Athletic Director Dan Coonan called it an honor to be even associated with them.

"It's been a terrific year. Thanks for representing this university so well," he said.

* Contact Brian Witter at (408) 551-1918 or bwitter@scu.edu.